After lunch, Wei Zhi prepared to return to the hotel to nap before working on her update. She decided not to ski that afternoon, feeling she had already done plenty of exciting things that morning.
Of course, the excitement included, but wasn’t limited to, the series of events following the competition.
However, the matter wasn’t over yet.
The moment Wei Zhi put down her chopsticks, as if by some telepathic connection, her phone began ringing incessantly. She glanced at it: the caller was Ms. Yang.
She neither answered nor hung up, simply letting it ring. As curious glances from those around her increased, she smiled and said to each person looking her way, “It’s nothing, just a telecom scam call.”
Jiang Nanfeng wanted to ask how her iPhone suddenly had a feature to mark spam calls but held his tongue.
Wei Zhi opened WeChat on her phone. Her friend circle, still without any groupings, was already in an uproar over the reposted video.
In just an hour, there were seventy to eighty likes. Amidst a sea of congratulations from colleagues, editors, and friends saying “Holy shit, I can’t believe your boyfriend looks like that,” two comments stood out:
One from Ms. Yang: “Have you lost your mind?”
Another, just two minutes later, from Wei Zhi’s father, Mr. Wei Jiaguo, who had silently liked the video.
By now, Wei Zhi could guess what was happening—
At this very moment, her home had likely turned into a battlefield.
Her mother: “Look at what your daughter has done! What was all that boyfriend nonsense she posted the other day?! I finally managed to placate Dr. Han, saying it was just our daughter being impulsive. And now she’s gone and made a mess of things, not answering calls or WeChat messages, refusing to come home! You told me not to interfere, fine, I didn’t for these past couple of days. Now look what she’s posted!”
Her father: “Oh, come on, just leave her be.”
Her mother: “If I don’t manage her, she’ll fly off the handle!”
Her father: “Well, our children and grandchildren will have their own fortune…”
Her mother: “Forget about grandchildren, I want to enjoy my life! Did I give birth to her just to anger me?”
Her father: “Well, it’s too late to regret it now.”
Then, Ms. Yang, embarrassed and furious, would have a big argument with her husband.
Given that Mr. Wei Jiaguo typically had an “I agree with whatever you say, but I won’t do anything about it” attitude, Ms. Yang would inevitably feel like she was punching a pillow, getting more frustrated the more she spoke. Realizing that her daughter’s personality took after her father’s would only infuriate her more. Having tired of scolding her husband, she would turn to berate her daughter, the root of all this trouble.
As is widely known, the iPhone’s call privacy isn’t the best.
Wei Zhi didn’t want to talk to her mother in front of her friends and Shan Chong, listening to her rage on the other end or risk getting into an argument. So she put her phone face down and switched it to silent mode.
The number of missed calls quickly rose to three, then four…
Sitting beside her, Shan Chong glanced at her furtive movements and asked, “Whose call is it?”
Wei Zhi: “Telecom scam.”
Shan Chong: “That doctor?”
Wei Zhi: “…”
Wei Zhi: “My mom.”
You see, this is why they say he’s her natural nemesis. Even someone as skilled at lying as her, who could do so without batting an eye, was forced to tell the truth after just three exchanges with him.
“You’ll have to answer eventually. Didn’t she call five days ago—”
“I ignored her five days ago, so I can hold out for another five days now.”
As Wei Zhi spoke, she slowly stuffed her phone into her pocket… Finding its vibrations annoying, she turned and reached into Shan Chong’s waist pack, took out its contents and put them in her own pocket, then placed her phone inside his pack and zipped it up. She even patted the waist pack, as if telling the phone inside, “Take care of yourself and behave.”
The series of actions was childish yet adorable.
Shan Chong slightly turned his body, looking down at her antics while listening to her continue in a calm voice, without lifting her head, “I said I don’t like Han Yiming, she didn’t believe me; I flipped the table and left for Xinjiang when they were discussing the bride price, she didn’t believe me; I said ‘thanks but no thanks, I have a boyfriend now,’ she still didn’t believe me—although I didn’t answer her call, I saw her WeChat message. That ‘playing hard to get should have its limits’ almost gave me insomnia from anger that night… So, since that’s how it is, let her see it clearly. I couldn’t exactly hire a professional actor in Xinjiang to act out a kissing scene with me.”
“Indeed,” Shan Chong said, “Where would you find an actor as genuinely passionate as me?”
“…There are quite a few cool guys in Xinjiang,” Wei Zhi looked up at him seriously, “It might not have been completely impossible to find one.”
“With all these maneuvers, you might as well have officially announced on your Moments that you don’t like Dr. Han.”
Jiang Nanfeng, scrolling through her phone, chimed in—
Her phone was now bustling with activity too, with Han Yiming’s circle of rich kids sending her friendly greetings and inquiries. She could barely keep up with replies, simply copy-pasting “I didn’t lead her astray” to everyone.
She almost wanted to set up an auto-reply.
Wei Zhi thought for a moment and said, “That wouldn’t work. It would be too embarrassing for him… We grew up together after all. It’s just unfortunate that I really don’t like him.”
She spoke with genuine sincerity.
She didn’t notice the man above her head raising an eyebrow at her words.
Jiang Nanfeng admired her logic: “So bringing a man right in front of him is less embarrassing?”
Wei Zhi turned her head, eyes wide: “This is already quite tactful. If I liked him, would I bring another man in front of him? It’s not like I picked up some random cat or dog off the street…”
She reached out and tugged at Shan Chong, pointing at the man’s face: “Isn’t he more handsome than Han Yiming? Isn’t he better at living life? He even has athletic talents. What can Han Yiming do besides drinking? Apart from being a bit taller—”
Shan Chong’s upturned lips noticeably stiffened.
Lowering his eyes, he said somewhat coldly, “Have you ever seen a skiing prodigy over 180cm who can fly off jumps so smoothly?”
Wei Zhi: “178cm is enough.”
Shan Chong: “With shoes on, I’m easily 180cm… Maybe even more. That was my official height after college graduation, I might have grown since then.”
“That’s right,” Wei Zhi raised her hand, boldly patting her boyfriend’s head, then turned to Jiang Nanfeng and said, “See? What’s there to be ashamed of losing to someone like this?”
Jiang Nanfeng, fed up with their display of affection, twitched her lips in disgust and said, “I shouldn’t have asked.”
Wei Zhi: “So, are you convinced now?”
Jiang Nanfeng: “A little bit.”
Wei Zhi closed her mouth, satisfied.
The group at the table, having heard her speech, found it somewhat amusing. Although they didn’t know who Dr. Han was, they agreed he couldn’t compare to Shan Chong. Apart from having a sharp tongue and being a bit arrogant, this man really had no faults…
At least he wasn’t arrogant towards his friends.
These minor flaws were negligible.
Lao Yan, playing with his phone, suddenly piped up: “Chong-ge, a snow equipment merchant saw this morning’s video of your group lesson. They suddenly realized you could teach group classes and asked if you’d be interested in leading a winter camp in Guangzhou during the winter break—”
Winter camp?
Wouldn’t that be all children?
No thanks.
Shan Chong grunted an acknowledgment, first answering with a “Not going,” then asked, “How did they find you?”
“They’ve been asking me to lead a freestyle class for a while now,” Lao Yan said. “I originally said I didn’t want to go this year, that I’d spend New Year’s Eve here in Altay with you guys… But then I thought, Guangzhou isn’t far from Nancheng, right? I could visit Sister Nanfeng, so I’m a bit undecided.”
“What about all those kids?” the man said lazily. “They’ll be chattering away, not listening, and crying at the slightest scolding—”
“That’s why they’re offering good money. Thirty thousand for three days, plus the chance to pick up some extra work at Guangrong after classes.”
“Oh, not going. That money’s too hot to handle.”
With that, the topic was considered closed, and no one gave it much more thought.
After the meal, everyone gradually returned to the hotel.
…
Nancheng, Third Hospital, Orthopedics Department.
Han Yiming raised his hand, removed his glasses, and rubbed his brow, addressing the curious eyes around him: “She’s not my girlfriend…”
The nurses: fine.jpg
Alert canceled.
It would have been too awkward if office gossip had landed on their own colleague’s head…
Dr. Han being cheated on would have been terrible; the interns probably wouldn’t have survived the next few days.
Han Yiming said expressionlessly: “I’m pursuing her.”
The nurses: “…”
The alert was canceled, but not completely. The interns’ days might still be difficult.
The man put his glasses back on, smiled, and said in a low voice, “Why so tense?” He turned to the young nurse who first discovered the video: “Xiao Nian, do you know who this person is? Tell me about him.”
The nurse named Xiao Nian tensed up a bit: “Um, well… Dr. Han probably doesn’t watch the Winter Olympics, right?”
Han Yiming really didn’t; he barely caught glimpses of the Summer Olympics when he had time.
“This guy was, until recently, China’s hope in snowboard big air. He’s really amazing, won medals in various international competitions held by the International Ski Federation. I remember one time he won three consecutive championships, shocking everyone. In snowboarding, our country had a gap, and these international competitions are very prestigious— Later, he underperformed at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and retired not long after returning home. He could have continued competing, but he chose to retire… So people’s opinions of him are mixed.”
She added a small detail, “What’s rare is that in skiing, it’s very normal to teach hands-on, which can easily lead to romantic entanglements… But he’s never been known to have any such incidents with anyone.”
She stammered, and those listening to the word “story” wanted to say this wasn’t a story, but an incident.
Han Yiming smiled and concluded, “You’re his fan too.”
…Anyone would be his fan, given his good looks, character, and no obvious flaws except for being poor.
The nurse named Xiao Nian scratched her head and smiled.
“Seems like my rival is quite formidable,” Han Yiming laughed. “I might be in trouble.”
…
Xinjiang, Altay, Ski Resort Hotel.
As the saying goes, you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Knowing Wei Zhi would face a big battle when she returned to her room, Jiang Nanfeng went to practice with Lao Yan after dinner. Wei Zhi returned to the hotel alone. When Ms. Yang called for the twelfth time, feeling the number was lucky, she pressed the answer button, said “Hello,” and squinted slightly, holding the phone far from her ear.
Surprisingly, there was no shouting from the other end. Clearly, the caller hadn’t realized the call had been answered. After two or three seconds of silence, she said, “I thought your hand was broken and you couldn’t answer the phone.”
Wei Zhi: “…”
Then she heard Ms. Yang say, “What did you post on your Moments?”
Wei Zhi paused, thinking if she asked, “Don’t you know how to be modest, young lady?” she’d hang up immediately. She said, “It’s exactly what you saw, what else could it be?”
Ms. Yang also paused before asking, “Did you have someone create it with computer graphics?”
Wei Zhi: “…”
This lady’s thought process was quite unique.
Wei Zhi: “No, it’s a real person… Didn’t you notice he looks a bit like the guy who’s really good at skiing that I posted about last time?”
Ms. Yang must have seen it and could even recall the caption. As if catching onto something, she said, “I remember. Didn’t you say that person was your mentor? Is this all part of some scheme?”
“Yes, I managed to snag my mentor. Is that not allowed?” Wei Zhi drawled. “Anyway, that’s how it is. Stop fixating on me and Han Yiming. I’ve posted three sets of Moments about him that everyone can see, including Han Yiming. This isn’t playing hard to get. If you really can’t understand, go ask my dad how he’d feel if you had kissed some guy to play hard to get with him—”
“Wei Zhi!!!”
Wei Zhi closed her mouth.
Ms. Yang’s tone was resolute on the other end: “No matter what you’re thinking, you’re coming home after New Year’s Day. Since October, you’ve been rooted in the North, even saying you won’t come back for Chinese New Year. You’ve gone too far! Playing around outside and even teaching your boyfriend—”
“Why does your tone sound like you’re scolding A Tuan?”
A Tuan was her grandmother’s cat.
“I’m afraid the next time you notify me, it’ll be to tell me I’m going to be a grandmother.”
“…”
Wei Zhi looked up at the ceiling, seriously recalling their conversation at the dinner table. “I think he doesn’t like children.”
The phone fell silent, clearly Ms. Yang was speechless. After a while, she softened her tone slightly: “The family’s hope for you to be with the Han boy is because we know him well, know he won’t deceive you and can give you a good life—”
Wei Zhi rolled over and called out, “Mom.”
Ms. Yang couldn’t remember the last time Wei Zhi had called her that. It seemed that since she started college, they had always disagreed on trivial matters.
“I know what you’re saying. I used to think the same way, which is why I didn’t object much to your decisions… But for a second, I realized that compared to the mansion and luxury cars the family can provide, I’d be just as happy sitting in a Passat that he and I bought together with our own money.”
Wei Zhi continued slowly—
“It’s not the Passat that makes me happy, it’s being with him that makes me happy.”
…
Wei Zhi couldn’t remember the last time she had such a calm conversation with Ms. Yang. She knew her mother probably wasn’t convinced yet, but the fact that she wasn’t hysterical or threatening to buy a ticket to Xinjiang to confront her was already a blessing.
She couldn’t convince her parents the way she had convinced Jiang Nanfeng, by comparing Shan Chong to Han Yiming. Parents don’t understand the appeal of sports, and they probably already knew about Han Yiming going to clubs, just turning a blind eye. If she seriously brought it up, they’d probably scold her for being childish.
After hanging up, Wei Zhi flopped onto the bed. She had barely closed her eyes to rest when there was a knock at the door. Lying on the bed, she was startled, thinking it was room service. She responded, “Coming,” and went to open the door.
Shan Chong was standing outside.
They stared at each other across the threshold for a few seconds before Wei Zhi asked, “Why are you back?”
When Jiang Nanfeng and the others left, he had clearly gone with them, carrying his board.
The man followed her into the room without answering her question. He glanced at the phone on the bed, then without hesitation, lifted the pillow, checked both sides, and even felt the bed surface.
Wei Zhi watched his actions, paused, then smiled and said, “What are you feeling for? I didn’t cry.”
Hearing this, Shan Chong clicked his tongue before tossing the pillow aside and sitting on the edge of the bed, stretching out his long legs.
Wei Zhi stared at his legs for a while, silently thinking to herself, “This is really enough.” She moved closer, wrapped her arms around his neck, and sat on his lap. Feeling the man’s silence, she raised her head and asked, “Am I heavy?”
He lowered his head slightly, his pitch-black pupils unfathomably deep and calm. After staring at her for two seconds, he leaned down and captured her nearby lips.
She made a muffled sound, instinctively shrinking her neck to dodge at first… until their breaths mingled, and her previously calm heart began to race. She obediently opened her mouth as his tongue traced her lips, her soft tongue actively seeking his, entwining.
At this moment, the young woman was just like when she looked at him without speaking—a bundle of snow-white softness and docility.
His hand, which had been loosely resting on her waist, tightened, pressing her waist towards him—
The entire hotel room was deathly quiet, with only the sound of their increasingly heavy breathing and the meeting of lips and tongues. Her cheeks were flushed red, and she had shifted from sitting sideways on his lap to straddling him, arms around his neck.
So when the man lifted her waist slightly, she let out a low gasp and fell towards him. The person originally holding her easily switched their positions, pressing her into the soft bed—
The bed creaked under their weight.
His kiss covered hers again, this time deeper because she was beneath him. When his tongue swept across her teeth, she arched her back slightly, trying to retreat, her chest and spine tingling.
The air seemed to suddenly become strangely sweet and thick.
At this moment, the man had one hand propped beside her body, his knee between her legs, effectively restraining her. When his lips fell on the spot below her ear, she just giggled and dodged, a bit nervous.
“What did you say on the phone?”
His other hand gripped her wrist, preventing her from moving. The scorching temperature of his palm seemed to burn into her brain through his touch. She heard his voice, slightly hoarse, asking if she had been scolded.
“No, my mom was just asking—”
Her voice stopped as his wet, hot kisses moved down to her neck. After a pause of a few seconds, she said softly, “Mainly worried that the next notification she gets will be that she’s becoming a grandmother at a young age.”
“…”
She felt the man on top of her immediately stop moving.
A few seconds later, she cried out “Ouch!” in disbelief, freeing herself from his grip to cover her neck, looking particularly aggrieved as she said, “Why did you bite me!”
Being glared at by those watery eyes would make anyone lose their temper.
The culprit pulled her hand away, his long fingers pushing aside her collar to look. It was just a bit red; had he really bitten that hard?
She was just being delicate.
He pulled her over, lowered his head to place a light kiss where he had left a faint teeth mark, heard her let out a small gasp, and then touched the spot with the tip of his tongue—
Her reaction immediately intensified, her whole body curling up with muffled sounds. Not just her face, but the exposed skin beneath her open collar was flushed red.
That should do it.
He moved away from her with a dark expression, pulling her up from the bed to sit in his arms. He asked, “So how did you answer?”
“…I said you don’t seem to like children.”
“…”
From anyone’s perspective, if she were mute, she would be more likable than when she could speak.
Shan Chong’s hand landed on her bottom with a moderate slap, causing the person on his lap to squirm and dodge again…
The friction was igniting a fire in him.
He had to hold her still, warning her in a hoarse voice not to move, lamenting that he had brought this upon himself.
When the restless girl finally calmed down on his lap, two fingers lifted her chin. Following the pressure of his fingertips, she turned her head, meeting his eyes that were full of authority when not smiling.
“You’ll accompany me back to Nancheng for the New Year, hmm?”
His lips approached her nose as he asked, looking down at her.
Wei Zhi gazed at him, her almond eyes suddenly bright and shining.
“I’ll lead a winter camp,” he said resignedly. “To prove that I do like children after all.”